Kamikaze by Beatrice Garland

Question 1

Themes in Kamikaze:

Answer 1

• Futility of war
• Power of memory
• Powerlessness of soldiers
• Power of institutions
• Abuse of power
• Conflict of identity

Question 2

Context in Kamikaze:

Answer 2

The poem is set around the events of a kamikaze pilot flying to war and then turning back before it was too late. Kamikaze pilots were expected to use up all their weapons and then suicide by flying into their targets as a final act of destruction. It was considered a great honour in Japan to die for your country. The pilot in this poem returns home and is rejected by his family forever after, his own wife refusing to speak to him.

Question 3

Form and Structure in Kamikaze:

Answer 3

• The poem changes to italic/font during the penultimate stanzas and a previous line to indicate the change of speaker, from the narrator/translator to the daughter
• The final couplet hits home the themes of the poem quite dramatically in a very sombre tone but does not offer opinion, challenging the reader to come to their own decision.
• The consistent structure uses quite regular syllable patterns drifting up and down in length, this gives the poem a tone of nostalgia, but also the rhythm of the waves which can represent a helplessness, that things will happen, whatever you do, he will still ‘die’ in one way or
  another.
• The use of asides and calm rural language juxtaposes the setting of war, giving the poem a much more personal scope on a major event.
• There are 6 lines per stanza. 6 is the devil’s number - Devil went against society expectations like the pilot went against his honour. Taboo as no one spoke to him, like no one spoke about the devil
• Frame narrative shows the loss of the pilot’s autonomy

Question 4

“Dark shoals of fishes
flashing silver”

Answer 4

• The beauty of nature caused the pilot to rethink his decision, did he want to leave this world?
• Symbolic Figure of 8 ∞ the infinity symbol - repetitive cycle and feeling trapped by his destiny.
• The fish represent the aircraft, the ‘flash of silver’ metaphor for their honour and glory
• Sibilance shows the pace and mimic the motion of the aircraft
• Repetitive - symbolises the soldiers blindly following the government’s orders

Question 5

“Turbulent inrush”

Answer 5

• Represents inner turmoil and conflict, questioning the strength to defy fate and the pressure on him to do his
  duty
• Shows how humans are at the mercy of nature, the waves could easily cause a boat to crash.
• Extended metaphor - water started of as small to large - water is the enemy and is getting more powerful, realising that the other soldiers aren’t the enemy

Question 6

“This was no longer the father we loved”

Answer 6

• The war has broken up the family, he is no longer the father they loved, he is a coward and an embarrassment to the family.
• He has changed since he came back, he is no longer a respectable figure, he is a disgrace to the family.
• Families patriotism was so strong they were so embarrassed that they just ignored him.
• Suggests his identity changed after he came back from the mission.
• Punctuation used the dramatically emphasise the ‘loved’ and created empathy.

Question 7

“Which had been the better way to die”

Answer 7

• The father is left feeling as if he would have rather died, patriotism has caused his family to abandon him.
• He decided family was more important than country but his family didn’t.
• Highlights conflict , emphasises that he died in the eyes of his family.
• There is a tone of regret and sympathy at his
  situation, he had no way out.
• He had died after the mission because he had lost his honour, hence his POV isn’t shown